Needle for graphophones and the like.



PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

` E. EETMECKY. NEEDLE EOE GEAPEOPHONES AND TEE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10, 1906.

K C7 Cz UNITED sTATEs VPATENT oEEfroE.I

FRED PETMECKY, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO II. F. THOMPSON, OF I -NEW YORK, N. Y. r

NEEDLEFQR GRAPHOPHQNESTAND THE LIKE.

'..0 all whom t may concer/t.'

Be it known that I, FRED PETMEcKYa citizen of the United States, and a resident of Austin, in the county of rlravis and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Needle for Graphophoncs and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My' invention relates to improvements in io needles or styluses for graphophones and machines of that'character, the principal objects being to provide for modifying the tone produced and to provide for increasing the durability of the needle. The first of'these objects I attain by modifying the forni of the body of the needle in such a manner as to permit vibrations in a certain manner, and the latter I providefor by producing a point of a new form, which when used on one side will 2O c'ause a sharpened point to ap ear on the other, thus permitting the needle to be reversed after each operation and leaving a sharpened point ready for the next operatlon. A

When using needles of an oval cross-section on disk-machines, the surface which comes in contact with the record is worn off in a short time and a new needle has to be substituted for practically every record which is to be operated upon. If the expedient of turning the needle over is employed, it is found that the wear of the record on the pointfhas produced burs upon the other side, which prevent its being used in that "mannen Needles are also usuall made with a practically uniform cross-section from the shank-to the point. This does not permit sufficient vibration. In order to roduce a fine tone, I have discovered that 1t is desirable to reduce the cross-section of the needle in a position just above the point, so that While` the oint itself is rigid it is supported by a fiexible section of the shank, and` consequently it is capable of a certain degree of motion.

While I am aware that a flattened shank has been employed for an unknown purpose, I believe that I am the first to produce a needle or stylus of this. character having a 5,0 flattened portion located in exactly this position."

Reference is tobe had to the accompany-` ing drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 10, 1906. Serial No. 295,380

Patented April 9, reo?.

,indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures. f l

Figure 1 is a side `elevation of a stylus constructed in accordance with the principle of duce a loud tone.v Fig. 2 is a similar View showing how the needle is used to produce a soft tone. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. the needle as it appears after the point is worn by use. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the needle when reversed and ready to commence operations again.

My needle is provided with a shank a of the usual character and with a point b. Between'these ortiens and extending'from the rear end of tli which is below that at which the shank is secured in the holder is a flattened section c. This section is not thin enou h ytd have any material effect u on the vi ration of the point, and at the ower end of the flattened portion c are a pair of concave surfaces c on tween them a thin section c, that permits vibrations of the oint itself. The purpose of this feature Wil vbe well understood b those familiar with musical instruments. t is of .course understood that the ,needle conducts the vibrations to the sound-diaphra m or to the box, and being thinned just at t is point as low as possible on1 theneedle without reducing the thickness of the point itself a finer tone isimiarted when musical com ositions are laye u on the" instrument. he tone is algo moded b the4 osition of the flattened surface en t e attened surface is placed toward the record, it gives a loud tone, while withthe edge toward the' record a these two extremes it gives tones of intermediate quality. In order to rovide the self-sharpenin feature which f) have mentioned above ,j Amake the point of the needle in the general shape of a pyramid with concave sides d. It will be seen by reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 that when the needle is drawn along the record with oneof the edges in the groove the wearingof the needle at its point, as shown in Fig. 4, willmerely produce a sharpened point on the o posite side, so that when the needle is turne around one hundred and eighty degrees, as is shown in Fig. 5, the point will be e point to a lace on the shank 'my invention, showing how it is used to pro- Fig. 4 is an elevation of the two sides of the needlefwhichfinclude besoft tone is produced. At angles between IOO ready for action. Any burs produced will be formed on the inside of .the concave portions and will not interfere with the use of L the needle in conducting sound /Further- 'more, the needle can be used'for a large num-i ber of operations, reversing it each time without injuring the record. This greatly increases the durability of both the needle and the record.

While I have shown the needle-point as provided with concave surfaces, it7 isto be understood that the principle of my invention is capable of being carried out with flat surfaces provided the needle is turned one hundred and eighty degrees each time it is changed; but when it is desired to change the i tone, ashas been explained above, the needle may be turned only-quarter of a turn or may be placed at some other angle to the original position, and when this is done the concave surfaces are necessary in order to provide for turning the burs formed away from the record.

Having thus described my invention, I claim y 1. A needle of the character described having a thin portion extending along the body thereof above the point, and, ailat flexible portion at the base of said thin portion and at the head of said point, the point having a general pyramidal shape.

2. A neerdle or stylus for graphophones and the like, having a thin flat flexible portion located immediately at the rear ofthe pointof the needle, the point having a general py ramidal shape with concave sides.

A needle or stylusfor graphophones an the like having apyramldal-shaped point with concavefaces. f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED PETMECKY.

Witnesses:

J. W. CHENNEVILLE, A. GRAVES. 

